The trust hopes the new world record
for the Largest
bird feeder will raise awareness of the problems facing
farmbirds such as the lack of food available to them during
the colder months and a decline in their habitat.

It hopes to encourage farmers to feed
farmland birds until late spring, either by growing wild bird
crops or feeding from wheat hoppers.

The previous world record for theLargest bird feeder was set in Maine,
US and was over eight feet tall and holding 125 to 135 pounds
of bird food.

Dr Alastair Leake, head of the farm, said:
"The need to make space for wildlife has never been so pressing
and it is critical that we support our farmers to do this.
"If we don't then we run the risk of losing some
of our important farmland birds that are already teetering
on the edge."

Dr Chris Stoate, head of research at the
farm said: "Songbirds at Loddington have benefited from both
wild bird crops and the provision of grain in pheasant hoppers
through the winter. In the critical late winter period, bird
numbers were two and a half times higher in years with feeding,
than in years without it."

The Game
and Wildlife Conservation Trustís World Record was
supported by Yara UK Ltd, Natural England and
Belmont Seeds. The world record bid was supported by Natural
England, which is offering farmers up to £350 per
hectare per year for improving habitats and growing wild bird
crops through one of its green farming schemes.

"We are delighted to support this record attempt
as it helps to raise awareness of the plight of farmland birds
and the critical role that land managers can play in their
survival.

"Our green farming schemes - targeted at those
species which we know are declining in certain areas - create
opportunities for more farmers to be directly involved with
conservation."

The Game
and Wildlife Conservation Trust is an independent
wildlife conservation charity, which carries out scientific
research into Britain's game and wildlife.
Its Allerton
Project farm in Leicestershire has pioneered methods
that combine modern farming with conservation and game management
techniques. Saturday,
February 28, 2009